My cat has gingivitis. What are the best at-home dental care options?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Cassie. I think it's a great idea for you to start brushing her teeth, and that can help with the gingivitis. Be sure to use a pet toothpaste, as human ones are toxic for cats. You can get a pet toothbrush and paste at a pet store. I'd brush her teeth three times a week. I hope this helps!

Once your kitty had his dental cleaning , brushing his teeth with enzymatic tooth paste will prevent the build up of tartar and gingivitis. Brushing his teeth while he still has the excessive tartar will not remove it and also hurt the gums, as the gingivitis is painful. You can use water additives, but in my opinion they do not do much for the breath and his teeth. The bad breath is caused by bacteria in the tartar and below the gums. It will go away as soon as the teeth are cleaned.

That looks like pretty painful gingivitis. There also may be some lesions on the neck of the canine tooth (FORL). Your vet will inspect the whole mouth and may suggest a tooth cleaning under anesthesia where the teeth are also cleaned underneath the gingiva. Unfortunately the teeth can look very clean, but underneath the gingiva bacteria congregate and cause tooth decay, inflammation, and, in serious cases, heart and kidney disease, This is not an emergency, but should be addressed soon.

You can brush Roxzy's teeth with a cat specific toothpaste (do NOT use human toothpaste) and a cat toothbrush, but ultimately the only way to cure gingivitis is with a dental cleaning, scaling, and polishing at the vet. I'd make him an appointment to get that done. Best of luck.

I'm very sorry to hear about Taiga, this is a horrible condition. With the combination of gingivitis extending into the pharynx, it sounds like your vet has diagnosed what we would know as gingivostomatitis in the UK. Which basically means the mouth as well as the gums gets horribly inflamed, ulcerated and sore. It is a tricky condition to treat but very much needs to be tackled head on as it is so painful. It would be a great idea to get your vet to run bloods first as a general health check for possible complicating factors thsy could effect treatment options, also an FIV FELV panel would be useful. Regarding treatment the key is to reduce the bacteria in the mouth and try and suppress the immune system. Various drugs combined with oral rinsing can help to achieve this, however results can be unsatisfactory and any benefit is temporary. You could certainly try and see how well Taiga responds. The other option for severe gingivostomatitis is full extraction of the teeth as you mention. Although it sounds extreme once the teeth are fully removed the mouth heals and there is no more inflammation as the source is gone. I would strongly recommend approaching a vet with extensive experience in feline dentistry as it is imperative that all teeth are removed fully. This may end up being the best option, but in the mean time bloods and meds will help. I hope you find a comfortable solution for Taiga.

I am sorry to hear that Sweety has a painful mouth. Unfortunately, gingivitis/stomatitis in cats can be very severe and quite debilitating. It can be made even worse in cats that have other immune issues, such as allergies or FeLV/FIV infections. Antibiotics and immune-suppressive medications can be used in mild cases. Thorough dental cleaning will help many of these cases more than just medical treatment. However, many cats will need all or most of their teeth pulled to ease the pain. The pain and inflammation is caused by an immune reaction to the tartar. Since we can't completely prevent tartar build up on the teeth, often removing the teeth is our only option. Obviously this is quite a bit more expensive than a simple teeth cleaning. I recommend discussing your options with the veterinarian that has treated Sweety as far as medications or financing for the dental cleaning. Here is some more information that you may find helpful: https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-smart-solutions-for-pet-care-financing/ http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=170

From this picture the level of plaque does not justify the gingivitis, as there is not much plaque on Mimi's teeth. So it could be that the nature of gingivitis is viral, or it could be just immuno-mediated. Further testing is required to understand if the cause is a virus. If these test are not available, then symptomatical treatment is advisable. Flagyl is an antibiotics that we commonly use for gastro-intestinal bacteria so perhaps I would consider a different antibiotic with a broader spectrum.